Actor Munmun Dutta on Sunday (May 9) raised eyebrows when she used a term derogatory in an Instagram video.
In the now deleted video, the ‘Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma’ fame talks about her makeup routine. The actor goes on to say that since she’ll be appearing on YouTube now, she doesn’t want to look like a ‘bhangi’ and wants to look good.
Dutta has now issued an apology on her official Instagram handle where she cites her ‘language barrier’ as the reason for using the word.
“This is in reference to a video that I posted yesterday where in one word used by me has been misinterpreted. It was never said with the intent of insult, intimidate, humiliate or hurt anyone's feelings,” Dutta said in her post.
“Because of my language barrier, I was genuinely misinformed about the meaning of the word. Once I was made aware of its meaning I immediately took the part down. I have utmost respect for every single person from every caste, creed or gender and acknowledge their immense contribution to our Society or nation.”
Munmun concluded her post by saying that she would like to apologise “to every single person who have been unintentionally hurt by the usage of the word.”
The original video has been deleted but its meme has surfaced on Instagram. Watch the video here:
The remark hasn’t been received well by netizens where many called her a casteist. While one user said that the comment is a disrespect for sweepers, anther user called Dutta a ‘pseudo feminist’.
This is not the first time celebrities have sparked controversies after using the disparaging word. In 2017, actor Shilpa Shetty during a media interaction used the term to describe her clothes at home. The actor later issued an apology after protests by the Valmiki community.
In 2019, actor Sonakshi Sinha during a radio interaction talked about her airport looks and how sometimes she doesn’t get time don the perfect attire due to her hectic schedule. She goes on to say "Yeh thodi hai ki purposely ghar jaake, 'bhangi' banke chali jayungi". Which means - I won't purposely dress like a ‘bhangi’. Sinha later issued an apology.
